Richard l



R. L. LLOYD.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.25, 1919.

Patented Dec. 23

:RICHARD L. LLOYD, or MINNEAPoLIs, MINNESOTA.

GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed January 25, 1919. Serial No. 273,167.

To all lwhom z't'may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD L. LLOYD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and lState .of Minnesota, have 4invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Games; and I do hereby declare the ,following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus and more particularly to agame involving the use of targets or pieces to be struck, as forinstance, a pin or set of pins of the bowling alley or ten pin type.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements inamusement and game apparatus for the exercise of mental and physicalskill on the part of the players or player to secure the desiredresults, and to provide ,an apparatus which will afford a clean andattractive source of amusement, and will at the same time serve todevelop the mind, the eye, and the body in the playing f the game oruseof the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to improve games or amusementapparatus of the typeinvolving targets or pieces to be struck by apropelled object so that the pieces impinged by the object may bereadilydetached and instantly removed from the field of vision, and of theplayed or propelled object; s`o as to eliminate obstruction of the fieldby the struck target or piece, and totherefore leave a clear view of theremaining piece or pieces, and itlis a further object in this connectionto provide means acting individually on each piece or target inopposition to a force which acts to hold the piece or object in a givenfield.

It is further an object of the invention to provide means individual toeach piece or target, whereby the same may be eectually, temporarilyattached to a suitable supporting surface in a given field in a mostsimple,

j inexpensive, practicable and efiicient manner, and in this connectionit is also an object of the invention'to provide a means for resettingeach or all of the pins that may have been detached by a moving objector objects from the supporting surface in a facile and expeditiousmanner, and which setting up of the pins may be ,accomplished from aposition or station remote from the iield in -which the targets orpieces arel usually vset up.

It is moreover an object of the invention to providein a game oramusement apparatus pneumatic or suction means whereby the target can bequickly attached to a supporting surface, and which pneumatic device inone form may be readily disconnected from its pin or target; to enablerenewal or replacement and to provide further means adapted to bereadily connected to the target or piece, by which the latter may beinstantly withdrawn from the field when the target is detached from itssupport in the field, and which withdrawing means may be readilydetached to enable the use of the target or pin without thedetachingmeans.

Among the objects of the invention, one purpose 1s to provide in a gameemploying one or .more pins or targets arranged in a field, along whichtheremay be propelled la ball or other striking object, a projectingdevice or striker designed to enable the exercise and development ofskill by care and accuracy on the part of the player; so that the playedmember or ball canbe impinged by the striker after the ball may havebeen set at any selected position, and

4which striker involves a member designed to make a point contact withthe ball, the striker lalso being capable of careful and refinedadjustment lor gaging with respect to the ball to be played, and withrespect to the pins to be struck by the ball.

I/Vith these and other objects as will be readily manifest to thoseversed in the art,.

the invention consists of the construction, the combination, and indetails and arrangement of the parts, as will be more particularlydescribed hereinafter, relative to the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved apparatus as embodied inone form, and which comprises an elongated table or alley.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view through the game, thesection being in a vertical plane.

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view partly in elevation, showing themechanism of the setting-up device.

Fig. ,4 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus on line 1 -4 of Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a view of the suction cup, the pin, and the tension memberdisassembled.

Fig. 6ris an assembled view of the parts shown in Fig'. 5. p

It is to be understood that the principles of my invention may beincorporated in a very large variety of amusement or game apparatus, andwhile I have shown the same as in the embodiment of the tenpin type, itis not to be construed as limited thereto, because it is obvious thatthe ten pins or target members, or pieces that are to be played upon,may be set up on any suitable supporting surface in any appropriatefield, and that the character 0f the surfage, the field, and the generalorganization of the appa.- ratus is therefore greatly variable.

For purposes of illustration therefore, the

apparatus is shown as involving-a set or any suitable number of targets,or pieces to be played upon, here indicated as ten pins 2; each of whichis designed to be held by air pressure to a suitable supporting surfacein a field, so that they can be played upon or aimed at by a suitableplayed projected piece, as for instance, a ball B, which in this case iscapable of being rolled along an alley surface A.

To secure the holding of the pins or a pin 2 to its supporting surfaceby air pressure, I prefer to employ a suction cup 3 for each pin, whichlatter is shown as countersun-k or vbored at 4; to receive a stemportion 5 on the top of the suction cup 3; although this exact form ofconstruction is not essential but provides a convenient means fordetachably securing the cup to its pin, and also for securing inposition an elastic or tension member 6 to the pin; this tension memberacting in opposition to a suction cup 3, so as to instantly remove thepin from the field of play when it is detached from the supportingsurface. To secure this operation the elastic member 6l is attached orattachable at one end to an overhead support or bridge D, which may beprovided with a hook or series of hooks 7, one for each pin, and toreceive the eye or loop 8 at the upper end of the tension member 6,whose opposite end has passed through a central bore 9 in the p'in 2,and is attached to the stem 5 of the cup 3. One purpose of this methodof assembly is to enable the entire removal of the suction cup 3 'andthe elastic member 6 from the pin for purpose of renewal or repair, andalso to enable the pin to be set up lwithout the applied tension ofmember 6.

wardly against 'the surface of the alley and will be held thereonpby airpressure acting upon the suction cups 3, and these are designed to holdthe pins in position with a force slightly greater than that exerted bythe tension and withdrawing means, in the illustrated embodimentcomprising the tension members 6.

One ofthe important features of the present invention resides in means,whereby any or all of the pins that may have been detached as one struckby the played ball B, may be quickly, accurately and simultaneouslyset-up, and a simple means for securing'this comprises a presserplate'P, which is of an area substantially co-eXtensive with the area ofthe bridge D, and has a series of perforations 10, designed to receivethe necks of the pins 2 when the plate P is moved in parallel positiontoward the supporting surface upon which the pins or targets are to beset up; the pins being so formed or coperative with the plate F thatafter the pins have been forcibly at-` tached to the supporting surface,the plate P may be withdrawn leaving the pins erect and properlyarranged. The tension members 6 obviously pass through the apertures 10in the setting up plate P, irrespective of the position of the plate, asthey extend in lines parallel to the movement of the plate. The platemay be reciprocated between its upper and lowermost positions by anysuitable means, to secure the setting u of the detached pins, and ashere shown t e plate Yhas a pair of stanchions 11, which are slidablyguided in Ways l2, formed in suitable framework or box structure of theltable or alley A, and the lower ends of the stanchions are providedwith inwardly directed pins or rollers 13, designed to engage inclinedcamways 14 provided therefor in the box structure, and which compriserigidly connected wings or side members connected to suitable actuatingmeans comprising a pair of forwardly extending arms 15, or otherwisesuitably constructed pulling means, and are guided in suitable ways 16,provided therefor in the boX structure or framework. `When thisstructureis used the bars 15 are transversely connected rigidly, and are providedwith a' laterally extended handle 17 operating in a slot 18 providedtherefor; the handle being conveniently disposed for access by theoperator or player and preferably at a yposition adjacent to the playersstand or station, so that by pulling the handle the cam members 14arereciprocated,

and will react on the stanchions 11 and cause the downward movement ofthe plate P, so that the detached pins will be reset and then the handle17 can be `pushed back, to cause the elevation of the plate P. l

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a very simple,practicable, inexpensive and easily operated game apparatus,

in which,v the pins or pieces to be struck are held to their supportingsurface by pneu-` automatically returned to the players end of the alleyor structure by providing oii the table or surface A run-ways 20, alongwhich the ball can travel to the end of the same where it will pass 0Eof the table or surface A, and from the valleys or run-ways 20 into apocket 21, having a concave bottom 22, leading to a return chute ortrough 23, declining toward the front end of the apparatus, where thereis provided a stop 24, against which the ball or balls may rest untilrequired.

The framework or structure may if desired, be pivoted adjacent to itscenter of gravity jon a base 25, on which is mounted a turnable table 26on the bottom of the frame of the apparatus, to vpermit the latter to beswung ina horizontal plane from one player to another, if they arestanding in a position in the form of an arc about the center ofthepivot stand 25, thus enabling the convenient playing by the individualplayers, without requiring their movement toward or from that end of thetable. i

A feature of my invention which is designed to encourage the exercise ofskill and develop accuracy on the part of the player or players,consists in providing at the players end of the table or stationthereof, a striker or ball propelling device whereby the ball B can beprojected not only with variable force along the alley or table surfaceA, but also which enables the player to very carefully determine andchoose. the precise path of movement, which he thinks will be mosteective for the ball in making the plays for the purpose of knockingover a pin or pins 2 in the target field of theapparatus. To that endthe improved striker comprises a carriage, represented as a box 30 ofgenerally oblong form with its length parallel to the usual path oftravelof the ball or axis of the alley, and is laterally shiftable alongrails or rods 31, extending transversely across the frame structure; one

handle 32, projecting through .an aperture therefor in the side of theframe and by -which the carrier may be shifted laterally on itssupporting rods 31, so as to suitably position a striker comprising aspherical bumper at the desired point, to impinge against the ball,which may be deposited in one or another of a series of very shallowconcavities 34, forming seats at the players end of the alley, thesebeing so disposed with relation to the rest position of the striker orbumper 33, that the ball -will be engaged by the striker before thelatter finally comes to the stop or rest position. The striker or bumperis shown as secured on the upper end of an arm 35; in the lower portionhaving a knob 36 attached to a rod 37, passing through the adjacent endof the carriage 30, and being surrounded by a spring 38,

which reacts against a piston or shoulder 39 on the inner end of the rod37. The spring normally tends to force the piston rod with the striker33 toward the series of seats 34 for the ball, and preferably the lengthof the spring 38 controlling the action of the striker 33 is less thanthe length of the piston rod 37; so that there is lost play of thestriker device outwardly with respect to the inert spring 38. This beingfor the purpose of allowing the striker to be pulled back to the dottedline position in Fig. 2 without reaction of the spring 38, and thereforeallowing the positioning of the ball B in the path of the full stroke ofthe striker 33 since obviously the latter must move inwardly to aposition at the end of its stroke to engage the ball.

It will be seen that with the form of construction of the striker orball propelling device as just described, it will be possible for theoperator or player to strike the ball B either on a dead center, thatis, with the` aXis of the striker 33 alining. with a diameter of theball, or the player can set the striker 33 so that its aXis will beshifted either to the right or to the left of the`dead center positionto cause the ball to move obliquely with respect to the length of .thealley. It

'is obvious that by virtue of the capacity ot 34 as formingseats for theball B, obviously any other suitable device or manner of teinporarilyholding the ball against accidental moving until struck by the strikermay be utilized.

` For the purpose of facilitatinoV shipping storing, and handling of theapparatus when:

made in the form illustrated, the frame or ta-` ble may be made up of aplurality of sections a-b--c, which may be securely clamped togetherendwise by any suitable fastening means, as for instance, by aturn-buckle 40, the ends of which are provided with eyes 4:1, detachablyconnectible to heads .42, suitably mounted on the outer sections a andc, so that these may be drawn snug against the intermediate section B.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a game or amusement apparatus, a eld, a series of independentobjects each having a vacuum cup on a portion thereof whereby when theobjects are pressed to a surface, they will bedetachably held in thefield and means extending through said objects and engagingsaid vacuumcups for constantly exerting a detaching effort on the objects, andmeans for resetting such of the l objects as may become detached.

2. In a game, a target or piece to be played upon having a suctlondevice on one end by which it may be attached vto a surface; a stem onsaid suction device, and an elastic member attached to said stem,Whereby it is withdrawn from the field whenY land an elastic memberattached to 'said suction device, whereby it is withdrawn from the fieldwhen detached therefrom; the piece having a socket to detachably receivea stem on the suction device; the elastic member being attached to thestem of said suction device through `a bore in the piece.

4. In a game, a target or piece to be played upon having a suctiondevice on one end by which it may be attached to a surfaceyand anelastic member attached to said piece, whereby it is withdrawn from thefield when detached therefrom; the piece having a socket to detachablyreceive a stem on the suction device, and means for detachablyconnecting said members to a support.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

Bierman L. LLo'YD.

Mtl

